Final Repairs and Preperation Done for Winter Racing

Okay I know what your saying: "Didn't you just do this?"  Well I did; then I went down to the boat and broke a ton of stuff.  I was going for a short over nighter to Bowen Island and got down to the boat around 11:30am to discover the batteries were completely dead.  I was able after much swearing able to get the engine going.  I motored over to Bowen to play it safe and the next day when I went to leave I encountered the same problem.  When I returned to Vancouver I did some troubleshooting and determined that the 4.5 year old deep cycle batteries in the boat were indeed dead and in need of replacing.  

Additionally in the process of troubleshooting the batteries I also broke the latch on the companionway.  The metal pins that hold the engine cover on and a few other things.  Enough was enough and I started unscrewing all the little crap I had broken off of the boat and took it all to the pieces down to the marine hardware store and replaced them.  

While at Bowen Island I managed to fall pretty hard against one of my new stanchions and sheered off the new base I had just put on.  Luckily I had prepared for this when I ordered them last time and have a spare one.  Still it was a frustrating experience.

So now with new batteries, stanchion bases and a sack of boat hardware I am prepared to go down to the boat and put the final touches to the WEASEL before the VRC Polar Bear series.  

Reminder on the Polar Bear Series Dates for 2008/9:

1. November 9th
   
2. November 23rd
   
3. December 7th
   
4. December 21st
   
5. January 4th
   
6. January 18th
   
7. February 1st
   
8. February 15th
   
9. March 1st
   
10. March 15th
    

Links:

• For more information on the Polar Bear Series.
  
• For more information on Marine Batteries.
  
• For more information on CS Parts.